Little Boy Lost
by charli911
Summary: When Roy is injured, his son, Chris, takes his anger out on Johnny.
1. Chapter 1

**_Little Boy Lost _**

**_by Charli 911_**

/

Authors note: you will find reference here to a 'Kennedy probe'...that is the name of the long-handled, expandable listening device used during search and rescues in cave-ins and building collapses...at least, that's what it was called in the show (see the episode Botulism)..

Disclaimer: Emergency!" and its characters belong to © Mark VII Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction, and any similarity to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. I do not own the men and women of Emergency! and only use them here for the purposes of entertainment. No money is made and I hope the creators, writers and actors appreciate that they're creation still resonates with fans after all these years.

This story, as with all of my Emergency! fanfic was originally archived at both Two Chickies and KMG365, both sites now defunct as far as I can tell.

/

**_CHAPTER ONE _**

It was Sunday, and Roy DeSoto actually had the day off. He was in the garage, trying to refinish his son's furniture. Chris had outgrown his boyish bedroom set, and wanted something more in fitting with his 'grown up' stature. Roy thought about how fast his kids were growing up as he fought to sand the handles on the tall dresser. Time sure does fly; one second I'm changing diapers, and next thing you know, I'm sanding away the trains on his dresser, Roy thought to himself. He was so involved in his musings, he didn't hear Chris walk up behind him.

"Dad?"

Roy jumped. "Yes, son?" he said, turning around with a smile for his eldest child.

"Did I scare you, Dad?" Chris asked with a chuckle.

"Just startled me a bit, Chris. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, I just came out to see what you were doing," he said, as he picked up an empty paint bucket and flipped it over, plopping down to make himself comfortable. "Hey, Dad, can you tell me again how you saved that old lady from that burning building?"

"Son, I've told you before, I didn't rescue her alone. We all helped, all the guys at the station. If it weren't for Chet and Marco keeping the fire back and Johnny holding up the bed that fell on her, I would never have gotten her out."

Roy grinned at his son, happy that he thought so much of him that he figured his father could do it all alone.

"But, Dad, you were the hero. You do this kind of thing every day. Everybody saw you on TV carrying that lady out. My friends think you are so cool, Dad. Every one of them wants to hang out with me because of what you do. Billy's dad just delivers mail, and Rob's dad just drives a dumb old truck. But my dad is the cool one, he saves people's lives for a living." Chris swelled with pride, his chest puffed up.

"Chris, you have to understand that no matter what kind of job someone does, you should be proud of them. If you're a mailman, you bring people letters and packages from loved ones. If you drive a truck, so many people depend on you to deliver things they need to live. Every job is important. Saving lives and property is my job, and I like it, but I can't do it alone. I depend on the other firefighters to back me up. I depend on the people who make my equipment, so I have protection when I go into a fire. And who do you think delivers all that stuff? Somebody like Rob's dad, that's who. So, I couldn't do my job if it wasn't for him. And we aren't always able to save people, Chris. My job is dangerous and sometimes people get hurt, even firefighters."

"But I wouldn't let anything happen to my ol' partner, Chris," said a voice from the driveway. "He can always count on me to watch his back." Both father and son turned to see Johnny Gage standing in the garage opening.

"Hey, Uncle Johnny," Chris smiled and waved.

"Hi, Junior," Roy added in greeting. "Are you here to give me a hand?"

"I guess I have to do something to pay my keep, for all the meals you and Joanne have invited me to," Johnny laughed, as he walked over to check on Roy's progress. "Where do you want me to start?"

"I've got the rest of the drawers all sanded down. If you can put a primer coat on them, we should be able to get them all done before dinner is ready."

"I think I can handle that," he replied, heading over to the shelves for the tools and paint he would need.

"So, Uncle Johnny," Chris said as he settled back to watch the two men work, "do you like being Dad's partner? It must be great to watch him do all those rescues!"

Johnny raised an eyebrow at Roy. "I see we've got a little hero worship going on here," he said with a smirk. "I guess that's to be expected, though, for such a wonderful person as yourself."

"Hey, what can I say? I'm the greatest," Roy replied with a huge grin. "I am grateful for all your support though, while I'm fighting my way through all those fires and carrying all those people to safety."

Shaking his head at his friend's comments, Johnny popped the lid from the can and began stirring the paint. "To answer your question, Chris, yes I do like being your dad's partner. I don't think I'd want to work with anyone else. You know, your dad taught me everything I know about being a paramedic, and he was a good teacher. Heck, he still teaches me things every day."

"What's it like to watch him run into a burning building and save somebody's life?"

Johnny dipped the brush into the paint, and started even strokes on the dresser drawers as he spoke. "Chris, you just wouldn't believe it," Johnny began. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Your dad, is like, like...well, he's larger than life. When people see him coming through the smoke and flames, they breathe a sigh of relief, because they know he's gonna save them."

"Piling it on a little thick there, aren't ya partner?" asked Roy. "And I don't mean the paint."

"Now, Roy, the boy has a right to know just what a great man you are," Johnny said with false sincerity. "He's right, you are a hero. At least, you're my hero."

Roy rolled his eyes at his partner's sarcasm. _I know I'll never hear the end of this one, he thought. I can just hear Johnny replaying this whole conversation to the guys at the station. _

"Seriously, Chris, if I ever got into a situation like that, your dad is the one I'd want to see coming through the smoke and flames. I know I can count on him to do everything he could to get me out." Johnny stopped painting, and looked over at Roy. "And I'd like to think he knows he can count on me the same way."

"I do know that," Roy said simply.

Johnny nodded in acknowledgement. "That's why we make such a good team. Partners have to be able to depend on each other."

"Dad says that partners are important in firefighting, just like in police work," Chris remarked.

"That's right," Johnny agreed. "We keep each other out of trouble, watch each other's backs. I can't tell you how many times your dad has saved my life."

"About as many times as you've saved mine, Junior."

"You never told me about the times Johnny saved your life, Dad," Chris said, concern showing on his face.

"That's because I didn't want you to worry about me, Chris. You don't have to, because I have a lot of people keeping an eye on me, just like I keep an eye on them. Johnny is usually right there with me when we go into a fire. And Chet and Marco try to stay close with the hoses to keep the flames away. And of course, if it weren't for Mike Stoker, they wouldn't have any water in the hoses. Well, you know what all the guys do. I've explained it to you enough times."

"Yeah, Chris, and remember, I will always watch out for your dad. I promise, I won't ever let anything happen to him, if I can help it. And I'll always be there if he needs me."

Satisfied, Chris got up to see if he could help his dad with the sanding. He liked spending time with his father. His dad always answered his questions and never treated him like he was stupid. And it was even more fun when Uncle Johnny was there. They didn't talk down to him like he was a little kid, not like the fathers of some of his friends. And no matter what his dad said, he still thought he was the bravest dad in the world.

/

It was an old gold mine, that's what the legends said. And the boys believed them. So they decided to explore, to see if there was still gold there. But the shoring was weak, and one of them fell through some rotting wood into a lower chamber. His arm hurt and it was dark where he was. He could hear his friends calling his name and he called back, telling them to stay back. He yelled at them to get help and heard them running away. Then all he heard was silence, with an occasional groan of wood moving, or pebbles falling from the ceiling.

The hole he was in was dark, and he was getting cold. The boy was scared. He knew his friends had run for help, but it seemed like they'd been gone forever. He thought he was going to die. He cried when he thought about never seeing his mom and dad again. And he wished Buster, his dog, was here with him. Buster always made him feel safe. But Buster was at home, nursing a sore leg. _Mom's gonna kill me_, he thought. And then, he just hoped to see his mother again.

/


	2. Chapter 2

**_CHAPTER TWO_**

By the time the fire department arrived, a crowd had gathered around the entrance. Some had ventured a short distance into the shaft, but backed out when dirt started to fall. No one wanted to be the one to cause the mine to collapse completely, trapping the boy even more. They could hear the sirens and knew help was enroute, so they waited.

As the Rescue Squad and Fire Engine pulled up on the dirt roadway, they found that the engine wouldn't make it up the short dirt path to the shaft entrance. So Stoker parked near the bottom of the hill, while the squad continued on to the entrance. As they pulled up, a frantic woman rushed up to the men in the truck.

"Please, hurry, my son is inside!" she cried. She grabbed the arm of the driver and started to pull him toward the cave.

"Hold on, Ma'am, let us get our gear," Roy DeSoto told her, as he removed her hands from around his wrist. He walked to the side of the squad and pulled out his turnout coat, his partner doing the same. They grabbed ropes and flashlights as well.

While the pair was donning their equipment, Captain Hank Stanley, along with Lopez and Kelly, walked up the hill and toward the shaft.

"Okay, we need everybody to move back away from the opening here. Give us room to work, folks." He directed Marco Lopez and Chet Kelly to continue moving people away from the cave entrance, as he walked inside to check out the shaft itself, shining a flashlight around and along the narrow passageway.

Roy and Johnny joined him as he exited and asked the bystanders if anyone knew how far in the boy was.

Three young boys, all about 10-years old, stepped forward. One of them spoke to Stanley.

"He's pretty far in, mister, and I think he fell in a hole," the boy said.

Roy crouched down next to the boy. "Do you know how far he fell? How deep is the hole he fell in?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the boy said, "I don't know. We went in pretty far. I'm not sure how deep the hole is. We didn't get too close, because he told us to run and get help. But I know it's down the right tunnel when you get to where this first tunnel turns into two separate tunnels."

"I'll go grab another length of rope, Roy, in case we have to haul him up," Gage said, trotting over to the squad and pulling out a coil of rope and lifting it over his head, draping it diagonally across his chest. He also grabbed three belts, each equipped with hooks that would attach to the rope, and a small kit that contained bandages and splints.

Each of the paramedics tied a rope around his waist, to be used as a guide to lead them out, or to lead the others to them if something happened during the rescue.

"Okay, guys," Stanley instructed. "Keep your lines tied on, and give me frequent radio checks. Once you get in, we may lose radio contact or we may get too much static, so keep in touch as long as possible. I'll have Marco get your equipment set up, and get an ambulance started, just to be safe."

"Right, Cap," Roy replied.

Johnny turned back to the mother, who was standing next to Stanley now. "Ma'am how old is your son and what's his name?"

"His name is Billy and he just turned eleven. Please, hurry," she pleaded, tears in her eyes.

The paramedics adjusted their equipment, turned on their flashlights, and entered the dilapidated mine.

/

They made their way deeper into the shaft, listening to the creaking wood as they walked on.

"Roy, I don't like the looks of this place. Let's find this kid fast and get out of here," Johnny remarked, warily eying their surroundings.

"I hear ya, Junior," Roy agreed.

They found the split, and followed the right tunnel, and began calling the boy's name. "Billy, can you hear me?" Roy's voice echoed off the dirt and wood walls. He didn't yell. The shaft was unstable, and he didn't want to make too much noise, for fear it would collapse around him. They continued to call Billy's name as they worked their way further into the earth.

/

"Billy!" he heard someone calling his name, the voice faint at first.

"Over here!" he yelled, "I'm over here! Help me, I fell and I can't climb out of here!"

"Keep talking, Billy, so we can find our way to you."

"I'm over here, I can't get out of here."

"Tell us what happened, Billy. Talk about your family, anything, just keep talking. We're trying to find you by following your voice."

"Okay, my friends and I found this cave last week, and decided to explore it. None of us had ever been in here before. The entrance had been covered up with bushes and trees. But after the storm last week, some of the bushes were blown down. So when we found the entrance, we decided to check it out. I had the flashlight so I led the way..."

"Do you still have the flashlight, Billy? Can you turn it on so we can see the light?"

"I...ah...I dropped it when I fell," the boy said, apologetically. "I think I broke it."

"That's okay, just keep talking then."

"O...Okay...ah, well, we...ah...we decided to check out the cave, and when I stepped on this part, it kinda moved, and I fell. I yelled at the other guys to go get help, but I was afraid they wouldn't be able to find their way out in the dark. It took so long, I didn't think anyone would find me."

He could hear them now, and then he could see a light, getting closer to where he was. Then he saw a face peer over the side of the hole he'd fallen into.

"Johnny, I found him!" the man called to someone behind him. A moment later, another man looked over the side. Both of them shined flashlights down into the hole. They both wore fireman helmets, black with a big '51' on the front.

"Hi, Billy," called the first man. "My name is Roy DeSoto. I'm with the fire department. This guy is my partner, his name is Johnny Gage. Hold tight. We'll have you out in just a bit." He then moved back away from the edge and Billy could hear him talking to somebody else, then heard a bunch of static and a voice that sounded far away.

"Billy, are you hurt anywhere?" asked Johnny.

"I hurt my arm. And I can't climb out, it's too far."

"We'll get you out in just a minute. Just hold on, okay?" Johnny assured him.

Billy could hear them talking, then Roy and Johnny both looked back down at him. Johnny dropped a rope down into the hole and starting climbing down into the hole with him.

"Billy," Roy began, "Johnny's gonna come down there with you. He's gonna put a belt around you and we'll pull you up, okay?"

"Okay," he replied, watching Johnny make his way down the twenty or so feet to the bottom of the hole.

Johnny unhooked himself from the rope and turned to face the boy. "Hi, Billy," he said with a smile, trying to put the boy at ease. "I'm just gonna check you over a little bit, and then we'll pull you up out of here."

Johnny proceeded to check Billy's injured arm. Then he checked his head and his pupils, noting that everything appeared normal. "Roy, it looks like he has a broken arm. We won't need the Stokes. I'll just splint it, then I think we can just hook him up and pull him out." Roy tossed

down a splint and Johnny began setting Billy's arm.

"Chet and Marco are coming in, Johnny, so let's get it done. This place isn't very stable and I'd like to get out of here as soon as we can."

By the time Chet and Marco made their way in to where they were, Johnny was already wrapping the belt around the boy's waist and cinching it tight. Then he reached behind him to grab the rope, and twisted it around the hook. Once the rope was secured, he hooked his own belt back onto the rope and signaled for Roy and the others to start pulling them up. He told Billy to hold on to him, so the boy wrapped his legs around Johnny's waist, and his good arm around Johnny's neck. Gage then 'walked' up the side, as the men up top pulled the pair up.

Once out of the hole, Johnny unhooked them both from the rope, which Chet then started wrapping around his arm. He and Marco led the way out of the passageway, followed by Johnny, Billy and Roy. Billy was now wearing Johnny's helmet.

About halfway out, they began to hearing some soft rumbling. Nervously glancing around them, they quickened their pace, wanting to get out of the shaft before it decided to come down on top of them. But they didn't all make it. They were about thirty feet from the mouth, close enough to see the sunlight outside. Marco and Chet had just reached the entrance when a loud creak signaled the collapse of the shaft. Johnny reached behind him and picked up Billy and started running with him. He noticed his partner about twenty feet behind him. He'd been coiling up his guide rope as he came.

"Let's go, Roy! It's coming down!" he yelled.

Roy was right behind him, yelling, "Go! Go! Go!"

Johnny was almost to the entrance when he was knocked off his feet by the falling dirt. As he fell, with Billy still in his arms, he covered the boy up, trying to shelter him from the debris. Earth, rock, and wood was falling around them. As he tried to get up, he felt something slam into his back, knocking him onto his right side. Then a rock bashed into his left side and he grunted from the blow. He felt himself being pulled. The men outside had grabbed his lifeline and were pulling him clear. He clutched at Billy, making sure the boy came with him, more debris hitting him as the others dragged the pair clear.

Finally, they were free of the dirt, and out of the mine.

"John, are you okay?" he heard Stanley ask. "The boy, check the boy," Johnny rasped, trying to catch his breath, coughing from the dust and dirt flying in the air.

Stanley carefully lifted Billy out of Johnny's grasp, taking him aside to look him over. Johnny could hear Billy saying he was okay. He opened his eyes and saw Chet leaning over him.

"Help me up, Chet," he said, reaching a hand up. Kelly grabbed his hand, and with Marco lifting from the other side, they got Johnny on his feet. As Johnny steadied himself, he felt the pain in his back and side, hissing as he straightened up. But as he looked around, he quickly forgot his discomfort.

"Where's Roy?!" he asked when he didn't see his partner. The others looked around, then they all rushed over to the mine entrance, spotting Roy's lifeline as it disappeared under the pile of dirt now blocking that entrance.

/


	3. Chapter 3

**_CHAPTER THREE_**

Roy had been trailing a few feet behind Johnny and the boy, gathering his guide rope as he went, coiling it around his arm. He heard Johnny's yell and the creaking sounds and started after his partner, but was knocked off his feet. He saw Johnny turn back toward him, but waved a hand, motioning him away, as he climbed to his feet. They had to get the boy out, and Johnny was close to the entrance already.

He saw Johnny fall, then it seemed like the whole shaft began to crumble into the space between Roy and the entrance. "Shit!' he exclaimed, as he instinctively hurled himself away from the cave-in. He got about ten feet before he was slammed down again, his helmet knocked off, and his body pelted by pieces of rock and rotting wood.

His thoughts turned to his family, not surprisingly, but when he pictured Joanne's face, the only thing that he could think of was _she is going to kill me if I die in here!_ He tried to move, but found he couldn't budge his legs. Then as he lay there, another large piece of wood struck the back of his head. "Sorry, Joanne...sorry." he whispered, as the darkness crowded into his mind.

/

"Damn it! Roy, can you hear me?" yelled Johnny as he walked up to the blockage, searching for an opening. Stanley was on the HT, trying to raise Roy, but getting no answer. Johnny looked at him. "Cap, we have to get him out of there!"

"Yeah, Johnny, I know. Kelly, Marco, get some shovels and picks! Stoker grab the Kennedy probe!" Stanley pulled his HT from his pocket. "L.A., Engine 51, we have a mine cave-in at our location, with a fireman trapped. Request additional personnel for manpower and equipment. Also will need the light truck and police for crowd control."

"10-4, Engine 51."

"Johnny, go check on the boy, make sure he's okay," Stanley told him. Hesitant to leave, Johnny felt the Captain nudge him and he reluctantly went back outside. Billy was standing with his mother.

"Hi, Billy," Johnny walked over to them. "Let's go over here and I'll check you out a little better than I could in the cave there, okay."

They walked away from the shaft entrance and Johnny sat Billy down on a fallen tree. He knelt down in front of the boy, checking his pupils and taking his pulse. Then he went to fetch the rest of his equipment so he could check Billy's blood pressure and contact Rampart. After determining that the youngster hadn't suffered any more injuries than the original broken arm, and some small cuts and bruises, it was decided that his mother would drive him to the hospital

herself. Johnny was secretly relieved, since that meant he could stay and help dig his partner out. He let the ambulance attendants know that they wouldn't be transporting the boy, but that they would need to stand-by to take Roy in...as soon as they dug him out.

As Billy and his mom turned to leave, the boy looked up at Johnny, then glanced at the mine shaft. "I'm really sorry I made you come and get me. I hope the other fireman is okay. I hope you find him."

"We'll find him, don't you worry. He's gonna be just fine." Johnny forced himself to smile, for the boy's sake. Billy was already feeling guilty and Gage didn't want to make him feel worse. "Now, you go on with your mom so the doctors at the hospital can put a cast on that arm."

As mother and son walked away, Johnny turned back to the shaft, where his crewmates were beginning to drag the larger, loose pieces of debris out of the entrance. He could hear the sirens of the other engines as they got closer. He hoped that Roy had somehow been able to get clear of the cave-in, at least then he would be able to breathe...if he wasn't hurt too badly...if he was even still alive. Johnny shook his head to clear those thoughts, and joined the crew in the task of digging Roy out.

/

Word had gotten around the small neighborhood near the rescue site, and more and more people were beginning to congregate. The police were on scene, and keeping people back, allowing the fire department personnel to do their jobs. Just then, three pickup trucks drove up on the road at the bottom of the hill. They were loaded down with 2x4's and wood planks. One of the drivers approached the police sergeant on scene, who took him up the hill to speak with Captain Stanley and Captain Lewis, from Station 10.

After a short conversation, the driver turned and waved to the men now standing next to the trucks. They began hauling the wood up the hill, several bystanders joining in to help. The driver turned out to be a man named Tom Avery, a foreman from a nearby construction site. When he had heard about the cave in, he knew that they might need wood and other materials to shore up the shaft as they worked their way to their colleague. The fire Captains had jumped at the assistance, grateful to this man and his crew as they began to pile up the wood.

The men fell into a rhythm after that, the fireman taking turns digging and shoring up the walls...the construction workers sawing the wood to length and carrying it to the mine shaft. Periodically they would stop everything and again push the Kennedy probe through the pile, but were always greeted with silence on the other end. Then they would resume their efforts.

/

Five hours later, Station 51's crew was taking a breather. They were making headway, but it was slow going. Johnny was tired and sore, the ache in his side and back mostly forgotten in his concern for Roy, unless he moved too quickly or turned the wrong way. Chet walked over to him, handing him a cup of coffee poured from one of the many thermoses that the neighbors had dropped off for the men. As Johnny reached up to take the hot liquid, he winced from the pain his movement caused.

Watching from a few feet away, Stanley saw the pain evident on Gage's face. He quietly sat on the downed tree next to his paramedic. Johnny had his eyes closed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, cradling the coffee in his hands.

"How ya feeling, John?" he asked.

"Fine, Cap. A little tired, but I'm okay? Any idea how much farther we have to go?"

No," Stanley replied, shaking his head, "but we're moving pretty quickly now, so hopefully it won't be too much longer." Stanley stared off toward the shaft again, watching the other crews work, and then looked at his crew as they sat around him and Gage. Chet sat on the tree on the other side of Johnny, and Marco and Mike were stretched out on the ground.

He turned back to see Johnny also watching the activity around the shaft, then reached out and gently touched Gage's back. Johnny flinched, spilling some of his coffee, then jerking his head around to look at his Captain. "Tell me again, Gage, how are you feeling?" Stanley asked, a sober expression on his face.

"I'm fine, Cap, really. Just a bruise," Johnny said.

"Let me see, John," the Captain insisted.

Gage turned his face away, only to have the Cap reach out and probe the injury again. "Now, Gage. Lift up your shirt, I want to see this bruise." Knowing the Captain wouldn't let it go, Johnny handed his cup to Kelly, who was watching with concerned interest, and pulled his shirt up. Stanley gasped at the sight of the huge area of discoloration on Johnny's back and along the side of his ribcage.

"You're going to the hospital, Gage," he remarked.

"Cap, I'm..."

"No! No argument, Gage. You're going. And you can consider that an order! You should have told me about this, John," Stanley said, sternly. Stanley reached into his pocket for his HT, prepared to call for another squad to respond. But hearing a commotion from the mine shaft, he jumped up and ran over, followed by his crew.

"We're through!" someone yelled.

They waited anxiously as two members of Station 10 crawled through the opening.

"We found him! He's alive, but unconscious."

"Let me through," Gage cried, as he worked his way to the opening. As he began to crawl in, he felt a hand on his arm. Irritated, he turned back to see Stanley next to him, holding him back. Looking into his Captain's eyes, he waited for the man to tell him he couldn't go. But after a couple of long seconds, Stanley just nodded and released him, handing him a flashlight. He wasted no time making his way into the shaft.

Al Conroy and Tim Byers were kneeling next to Roy, who was lying on his stomach, the right side of his face against the ground, his legs buried up to the knees under the collapsed dirt. Johnny rushed to his side and did a quick check of his pulse and respiration, then searched his body for injuries. Conroy and Byers began to carefully dig Roy's legs out.

Johnny headed back to the opening, looking out to see his Captain's face staring back at him.

"Cap, I'm gonna need a backboard and cervical collar, and an arm splint. He's got a pretty nasty cut on his head. I can't tell if he has any leg injuries yet, we're still digging them out."

"Do you need the drug box, John?" Stanley asked.

"No, I think it would be best if we got him out of here first. Then I can do a more thorough check on him."

"Okay, John, it's your call." Stanley turned and yelled. "Marco, get a backboard, cervical collar and arm splint. Kelly, get the other gear set up and let the ambulance guys know to get ready to transport."

Johnny heard their muffled acknowledgements and went back to his patient. Conroy and Byers had his legs nearly uncovered, so they would be able to move him as soon as they got him on the backboard. Johnny checked Roy's pulse again and leaned over to re-check his pupils. As he shined the light into his eyes, Roy moaned.

"Roy, can you hear me?" Johnny asked.

"Johnny?" Roy replied, weakly. "Oh, man, my head hurts."

"Don't move around, Roy. We'll have you out of here in a jiffy."

"Johnny, here's your gear," he heard Stanley call. Climbing to his feet, he stepped over to retrieve the backboard as it was pushed through the opening, the other items he requested sitting on top. Byers helped him carry it over to Roy. Setting it on the ground, Johnny reached for the cervical collar and placed it around Roy's neck, then splinted his left arm. When that was done, Byers and Conroy helped slide him onto the backboard, and they strapped him down. Carrying him to the opening, they pushed him through to the waiting hands of the firemen on the other end.

Johnny climbed out after Roy, following by Byers and Conroy. When Johnny made it back to Roy's side, Chet was already on the bio-phone to Rampart, and passed along the vitals signs as Johnny called them out. Gage established an IV on instructions from Dr Brackett, and they got Roy ready to transport to the hospital. As Johnny was climbing into the back of the ambulance, Stanley stopped him.

"Chet's gonna follow you in with the squad, John. And he has orders to make sure you see a doctor as well, you understand me." Stanley knew that Roy's injuries were serious and that Gage would make sure he had top priority, but the Captain was concerned about both men, and wanted to be sure Johnny would also get checked out.

"Yeah, Cap, I understand," Johnny said, willing to agree to anything, if it would get Roy to the hospital faster. "As soon as they're done checking out Roy, I'll have the doc take a look at me." With that, he joined his partner in the rear of the ambulance and they raced to Rampart.

/


	4. Chapter 4

**_CHAPTER FOUR_**

Joanne was waiting for them when they rolled the gurney down the hallway into an exam room. Chief McConikee had been aware of the situation, and had gone to inform his family, staying with them until word came that Roy had been found, alive, and was being transported to the hospital. He offered to give Joanne a ride in, and she gladly accepted, not sure if she would have been able to drive herself. Dixie had another nurse take the kids into the doctor's lounge, not wanting them to have to see their father all broken and bloodied. It would be bad enough for Joanne.

As the doctors took over the gurney, Joanne tried to follow it into the exam room, only to be stopped by an arm around her waist. She looked back to see Johnny, his face full of dirt and grime, small cuts on his cheeks and forehead.

"Let me go, Johnny, I want to be with him," she said, struggling to get away from his grasp.

"I know you do...so do I. But we need to let the doctors do their job without having to worry about us being there. They need to be able to concentrate on Roy."

Joanne slumped back, leaning against Johnny's shoulder. He turned her around, putting the arm over her shoulder and leading her to a couch in the waiting room. He sat down on her left side, his right arm still across her shoulder. She stared down the hallway, not taking her eyes from the exam room door.

"Johnny, how bad is he?" she asked, quietly.

His right hand squeezed her shoulder as he carefully selected his words. He didn't want to scare her, but knew she would want the truth.

"He's breathing okay. His pulse is a little weak, but it's steady, Joanne," he began. "He broke his arm and probably has a concussion. He's got a nasty cut on the back of his head, and he's was in and out of consciousness. He lost a lot of blood. But, it could have been a lot worse. He was lucky that he wasn't caught underneath all the dirt...he was able to get away from it, so he wasn't completely buried, only his legs."

She nodded and reached out to grab his left hand, clutching it in both of hers, still silently watching the door behind which the doctors had her husband's life in their hands. She desperately wanted to be in there, imagining all kinds of things that were going on. She knew that Dr Brackett and Dixie were the best and she was glad they were with Roy. And she'd seen Dr Early go in the room, too. So she took a deep breath and tightened her grip on Johnny's hand, trying to draw strength from him. She knew she would have to be strong, later, for her children, but right now she just wanted to be comforted herself. She closed her eyes and turned to lean her back against Johnny's chest.

Johnny pulled her close, leaning his chin on the top of her head. He, too, wanted to be in that room. But he also knew that the best place for him right now was with Joanne. Roy was being treated, and Johnny knew that his partner would want him to take care of Joanne and the kids. And Johnny was prepared to do whatever Joanne needed. If that meant sitting here and just holding her hand, he would do it for however long she needed him to.

A few minutes later, Chet Kelly joined them. "Any word?" he asked.

Johnny shook his head. "They're still working on him." Looking up at his colleague, Johnny took a deep breath.

"Chet, can you go find the kids, and keep them occupied?"

"Sure, no problem, any idea where they are?"

"Dixie sent them to the doctor's lounge with one of the nurses," Joanne said quietly, opening her eyes.

"Okay, I'll go look in on them," Chet assured her. He turned to leave, only to be stopped by Joanne grabbing his sleeve.

"Thanks, Chet," she said, looking into his eyes. "Tell them I'll be in in a little bit, I just want to stay here until I can talk to Dr Brackett."

He patted her hand and smiled. "Don't worry about the kids, Joanne, I'll keep an eye on them." He glanced at Johnny, who nodded his thanks, then Chet walked away toward the lounge.

"He's a good friend," she sighed, closing her eyes again..

"Yeah, the best," Johnny agreed. "The kids will be okay, with Chet looking out for them."

Several minutes later, Dr Brackett and Dr Early exited the exam room and walked toward the waiting room. Johnny nudged Joanne when he saw them coming, and she straightened up as Brackett sat down next to her, Early standing next to him.

"How is he?" she asked, afraid to breathe.

"He's holding his own, for now, but we'll be moving him into ICU shortly. Most of his injuries aren't too bad, the broken arm and some cuts and bruises. I'm most concerned about the head injury. He lost quite a bit of blood and he has a severe concussion, but thankfully no skull fracture. That's why I want to put him in ICU, so we can watch him for a couple of days, make sure no complications arise."

"Can I see him?" she whispered.

"Of course, for a few minutes, before we take him upstairs," Brackett told her. "He's been going in and out of consciousness, so he may not be awake. But rest assured, he's getting the best care we can give him."

Johnny helped her up from the seat, his body a little stiff. As they walked down the hall, Brackett lightly touched Johnny's back, startled when Johnny flinched.

"Johnny, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, Doc, I'm fine, just a little sore," Johnny assured him, as Chet joined them in the hall outside the exam room, having come at the behest of the kids, to find out about their father.

Joanne stopped and looked at her husband's partner.

"Johnny, are you hurt? You should have..."

"Joanne, don't worry about me," Johnny interrupted. "You've got enough on your mind right now."

"John, why don't I take a look at you while Joanne is in with Roy?" Brackett offered.

"I really would like to see Roy, Doc. And I want to stay with Joanne."

"Johnny, I'll stay with her until Dr Brackett gets done examining you," Chet said. "You know the Cap wanted you to get looked at."

Johnny began to argue, but Joanne squeezed his hand, the one she still held in her own.

"Please, Johnny," she pleaded, "go with Dr Brackett. I'll be okay. You know how upset Roy would be if he knew you were hurt and didn't get checked out because you were too busy worrying about him."

Gage looked around at the others, finally settling his gaze again on Joanne.

"Are you sure, Joanne? This can wait a few more minutes."

"You go on Johnny, I'll be okay. Chet will be with me," she said releasing her grip and gently pushing him away. Still unsure, Johnny hesitated. He wanted to be in there, as much for himself, as for Joanne.

Sensing his feelings, Brackett took his elbow. "Johnny, there's really nothing you can do for him now. You did your job and got him to us. He's in good hands...so is Joanne. Chet will stay with her, and Dixie is in there too."

Johnny sighed, resigned himself to his feelings of helplessness, and allowed Brackett to lead him away, as the others turned and entered the exam room.

/

After x-rays and some blood tests, Dr Brackett decided to admit Johnny into the hospital overnight for observation. Although no ribs were broken, he did have a crack in one. And Brackett was concerned about the bruising on his back. He wanted to run some further tests to be sure there was no kidney damage. Joanne and Chet had stopped in briefly to see him before he was taken to a room, Joanne promising to come by later to give him an update on Roy's condition.

Chet notified Stanley of Brackett's diagnosis, and found that the Captain had already called in replacements for both of his paramedics. He ordered Chet to return to the station with the squad. By the time Kelly left, Stanley's wife, as well as Stoker's wife, had made their way to the hospital to sit with Joanne. She had finally been able to sit down with her children and explain their dad's condition to them, in terms they would understand. They were scared, but Joanne assured them that he was exactly where he needed to be to get better. And then she had to explain why Johnny wasn't there with them, like he had been in the past when their father had been injured on the job. They knew that he was also in the hospital, too, and that made them even more frightened.

/

The next morning, Johnny left his hospital room, moving carefully, feeling the pain from his sore ribs. He had conned an orderly out of some surgical scrub pants, so he wouldn't have to walk around in just a hospital gown. As he slowly made his way to the elevator, he hoped he'd get some good news when he got to the ICU waiting room. He knew Joanne was already here, and Dixie had told him that Beth Stoker and Linda Stanley were with her.

Chet had come by, and let him know that the B shift guys had come in and relieved A shift a couple hours early, so they could be at the hospital. With Stanley and the crew here, as well, now, Johnny knew Joanne wouldn't be alone. But he still wanted to be with her. She was his partner's wife and his place was by her side through all of this.

The elevator doors opened up and he painfully began the walk to the waiting room. It was about seven o'clock, so it was still relatively quiet in the halls. He walked into the room, spotting Stanley and the guys sitting in the corner, quietly talking. Joanne was sitting on the couch, her eyes closed, Beth Stoker and Linda Stanley nearby.

Kelly saw him first, tapping Stanley on the arm and pointing toward the door. The Captain got up and walked over to Johnny, keeping his voice quiet, mindful of the sleeping Joanne.

"Hey, pal, how ya doing? The nurses told us you were still asleep," Stanley told him.

"I woke up about 15 minutes ago. I wanted to see how Joanne was doing. How's Roy, any word?"

"No change. He's still listed in serious condition, but he's stable. You know the drill, doctors say the next 24 hours will tell."

Johnny just nodded. He'd been there himself. It always seemed like they had to wait 24 or 48 hours before the doctors would say anything conclusive.

"How about Joanne and the kids? How are they holding up?" Johnny asked, watching the lady in question with a concerned eye.

"Joanne's tough, she's been through this before. The kids...well, they're taking their cues from her. As long as she stays calm, they do too. Linda said Jennifer was asking about you. They told her you were fine, just needed some rest. Joanne planned to go up and see you later this morning. When we got here she was asleep and we didn't want to disturb her."

"Good, she can probably use the rest. If I know Joanne, she paced the waiting room most of the night."

"Not quite, but close, from what my wife told me. Somebody had to do all the pacing, Pally, since you were sedated upstairs," Stanley joked. The Captain watched his paramedic closely, concerned that the young man was doing too much. Nobody had even realized he'd been hurt yesterday, their minds were so focused on finding Roy. Stanley blamed himself for that. He should have kept a closer eye on him. He knew how stubborn Johnny could be. They'd asked him if he was hurt, and Johnny had, of course, insisted that he wasn't. Stanley should have made sure. Once everything settled down he would have a little Captain-to-Paramedic talk with him. But for now, he was just glad Johnny was up and walking.

As they talked, John saw Joanne lift her head, moving it around to relieve the stiffness from her neck. He slowly made his way to the couch, his Captain next to him, and crouched down in front of her, holding his side and the painful ribs.

"Johnny...are you okay?" she whispered.

"Fine...I'm fine. What about you? How are you holding up?" he asked, placing a hand on her knee.

"I'm doing okay. Dr Brackett said Roy's vitals were stronger and they were able to stabilize him. He was pretty optimistic that Roy would be okay."

"That's good. I'm sorry I couldn't be here with you last night."

"Oh, Johnny, I understand. You were hurt," she said, reaching out to place her hand against his cheek. "Roy would be furious with you if you had left your room against doctor's orders."

"Yeah, I know. But I still wish I could have been with you," he told her, reaching up to take her hand in his, giving hers a gentle squeeze. He felt a hand on his shoulder and glancing up, he saw Chet and Marco. They'd brought over a chair, and reached down to help him into it. "Thanks, guys," he said, a little breathless from the stab of pain he got at the movement. He turned his attention back to Joanne. "How are the kids holding up?" he asked.

"They're worried and scared, but I think they'll be okay once we hear more about Roy's condition. Marco and Chet are going to pick them up later and bring them back here for a little while. They're staying with our neighbor right now...Mrs Mitchell, you remember her, she's the lady that owns that purple VW Bug." She took a closer look at her husband's partner, seeing the pain in his eyes. "Should you be up and moving around?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm okay, Joanne. I can sit around and wait down here, just as well as I can in a hospital bed."

Joanne shook her head at him, a tiny smile on her face. "Does the doctor even know you're out of bed, Johnny?"

"I left him a note," he joked. "They'll know where to find me."

"You're right about that, Mr. Gage," said a female voice, behind him.

Johnny leaned slightly forward toward Joanne. "Is that Dixie?" he asked with a grimace, not wanting to chance a look at the door.

Joanne just nodded, amused at the young paramedic. As Dix came around to stand next to his chair, Johnny looked up, a smile plastered on his face.

"Ah...hi Dix, how's it going this morning?"

"What are you doing out of bed?" she asked, sternly. Looking at Joanne, she winked.

"I...ah...just wanted to see how Roy was, and…ah...to check on Joanne and the kids...and ...ah..."

"All you had to do was ask, I could have told you everything you needed to know," she told him. "Now, it's back to your room until the doctor can exam you and release you...officially."

"Aw, Dix..."

"Don't "aw Dix" me...move it."

Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, he accepted her help out of the chair, saying goodbye to Joanne, who promised to come up and see him later. Another nurse stood nearby with a wheelchair, but Johnny purposely ignored her, until Dixie cleared her throat. Johnny glanced back, to see Dixie glaring at him, her arms crossed. Letting out a sigh of resignation, he lowered himself into the wheelchair and allowed the nurse to take him back to his room.

Once she knew he was out of hearing range, Dixie began to laugh. Turning back to Joanne, who also had a smile on her face, she shook her head. "What am I gonna do with him?" She then sat in the chair Johnny had just vacated, leaning forward to place her hands on Joanne's knees.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Dixie, thanks. Actually, I feel much better since Johnny came by. I don't know what it is about him, but he always makes me feel good, even during times like this."

"It's that insatiable Gage charm. And the fact that he's the eternal optimist." She patted Joanne's knee. "I'll go find a doctor to exam him after I check in on your husband. I hear Roy's doing better this morning." Dixie left the room then, leaving Joanne to hope that her last words were true.

Two hours later, Dr Early had been up to exam Johnny, and signed off on his release, making Gage promise to take it easy and not over-exert himself. Johnny was able to take a quick shower, then changed into the clothes Chet had brought from his locker, and headed back to the waiting room.

Joanne was not in the room when he walked in this time. Must be in with Roy, he thought, as he stood in the doorway. Marco and Chet were there, and they joined Johnny as he came in the door.

"Is Joanne in with Roy?" he asked.

"Yeah, she and the Cap went in about 5 minutes ago," Chet informed him. "How ya feelin', Johnny?"

"A little sore, other than that I'm fine," he said, gently rubbing his side, feeling the bandage wrapped around his injured ribs. He saw Jennifer and Chris sitting on the couch, watching the television in the corner of the room.

Gesturing with his head, he asked about them. "How are the kids doing? Have they been able to see Roy?"

"I don't think either of them slept real well. The neighbor lady said Chris had a nightmare that his dad died. And Jennifer's been pretty quiet, just keeps clutching that doll. The doctors don't want them in to see Roy until he's a little stronger."

Chris heard them talking and looked around the back of the couch to see who it was. Seeing Johnny, he pushed his way up from his seat and walked over to where Johnny stood.

Johnny smiled, crouching down in front of the boy. "Hey, Chris, how ya doing, buddy?"

But Chris didn't smile back, just stared at Johnny for a long couple of seconds. "How come you left my daddy in that cave?" he asked.

"What?! Chris, what are you talking about? We didn't leave him in there!" Johnny tried to assure him.

"Yes, you did. You came out, but you left my dad inside. That's why they had to dig him out!"

Johnny glanced up at Chet and Marco, confused, as Stoker looked over from where he sat with his wife and Linda Stanley.

"Chris, wait, let me explain what happened..."

"I know what happened, I saw it on the news. You and my dad went in to get that boy out, only my dad didn't come back out with you. You lied to me. You told me that partners always watch out for each other, and help each other, but you didn't help my dad! You left him in there! You left him to die!" Chris was crying now, and Johnny reached for him, to comfort him and try to get him to listen. But Chris swung a fist at him, missing when Johnny jerked his head away. Tears were streaming down Chris' face.

"Chris! Stop that!" Joanne cried, as she walked into the room with Captain Stanley and Dixie McCall. She had seen her son take a swing at Johnny and she grabbed hold of Chris by the shoulders. "What's going on here?!" she asked, turning Chris to face her, kneeling down in front of him.

"He left daddy to die! I hate him!"

"Chris, Johnny would never do that. He helped get your dad out of there, so did Chet and Marco and everybody else." Joanne looked past Chris at Johnny, who looked like he lost his best friend. "Chris, turn around and apologize to Johnny, please," she said, sternly.

Chris turned to face Johnny, who was still on one knee. "NO! No! No! No! It should have been you in there! How come you're here and my daddy's in there?!" he yelled, gesturing toward the ICU. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!"

Joanne struggled to keep Chris calm, but he was fighting her, lashing out with his arms and legs. As Johnny got close to try to help control him, Chris' foot swung out and struck him in the side, catching him in his already sore ribs.

Gasping with the sudden pain, Johnny's vision blurred and he fell back, grabbing his side, shutting his eyes against the pain. Stanley rushed over to Chris and grabbed him from Joanne's arms, moving him away, so he wouldn't inadvertently hit Johnny again. Joanne could hear Jennifer calling for her and crying at the commotion, and she turned, only to have her daughter run into her arms and bury her face in Joanne's shoulder.

Dixie knelt down on the floor next to Johnny, talking softly to him, hoping to calm him down so she could assess the damage. She turned to Chet and told him to find an orderly and a gurney. Chet rushed into the hall and seeing a gurney down the hall, he ran to grab it, and wheeled it back into the waiting room. He and Marco helped lift Johnny onto the gurney, then rolled it down the hall to the elevator, Dixie rushing alongside.

Joanne was still kneeling on the floor, holding Jennifer in her arms. She pushed herself up, carrying her sobbing daughter over to the couch. Stanley sat next to her, still holding on to Chris, who had also dissolved into tears. Joanne reached out a hand to stroke Chris' hair. Stanley shifted over and sat Chris down on the couch between them, and Joanne put one arm around her son and pulled him close.

"Joanne, will you be okay?" Stanley asked. "I'd like to go down and check on Johnny."

"Of course. Go. Tell him I'm sorry, I don't know what..."

"Don't worry about that now, Joanne. I'm sure it's just the emotions of the situation." The Captain walked out of the room after a short, whispered conversation with his wife. Linda Stanley walked over and sat down next to Joanne, taking Jennifer from her arms, allowing Joanne to wrap both arms around Chris.

/


	5. Chapter 5

**_CHAPTER FIVE_**

Johnny was wheeled into the ER, as Dr. Early ordered x-rays. The initial pain was beginning to recede and Dixie was talking to her patient, trying to calm his breathing. She wasn't sure if it was the injury causing his fast respirations or the emotional shock of Chris' violent behavior. She had watched as the boy had flailed around, and winced when his foot had connected with Johnny's body.

Johnny's breathing evened out a bit, and he opened his eyes to find Dixie leaning over him. "Johnny, the x-ray techs are here," she told him. "We need to get some pictures of your ribs."

/

While the others waiting for the results to come back from the x-rays, Joanne sat in the ICU waiting room, her arms around her son, trying to find the words to comfort him, but still wanting to scream at him for what he'd done. She was appalled that he would react the way he did. Especially toward a man who was such a big part of all their lives. She wished Roy was here to talk to him, he was always able to get through to Chris. He was much more patient than she when it came to their son.

But he wasn't and it was up to her to find out what had caused this reaction. She could still see the pain etched on Johnny's face as he crumpled to the floor. She shook the vision from her head, and gathered her resolve.

"Chris, we have to talk about what just happened." She felt him stiffen in her arms, then try to pull away. She clutched him tighter, refusing to release her grip. "Chris, stop that! We are going to talk about this!"

"I don't want to," he pouted.

"Regardless, we are going to discuss it. We didn't raise you to use violence. I'm really trying to understand how you could lash out at Johnny that way!"

"It's his fault. It's all his fault!" Chris cried.

"What's his fault, Chris? What did Johnny do that made you kick him like that? He was already hurt, and you've made it worse. How could you do that?!"

"He lied to me! He told me that partners always look out for each other. He told me that he would always look out for dad. He lied!"

"Honey, you can't blame Johnny for what happened to your father. It was an accident. Johnny tried to go back, but couldn't get to your dad in time. And he had to take care of the boy that they'd rescued. What do you think your dad would have said if Johnny had gone back for him and allowed that boy to be hurt further?"

"I don't care if that boy was hurt more, at least dad wouldn't be in there!" he yelled, waving his hand toward the ICU ward doors. "He shouldn't have left daddy behind."

"Chris, Johnny got hurt during the cave-in too. But instead of going to the hospital, he stayed there and helped dig your father out," she explained. "Captain Stanley told me that when they finally found your dad, Johnny was one of the first ones back in the cave."

"It doesn't matter mom, don't you see?" the youngster pleaded. "If it wasn't for Johnny, dad wouldn't have been in there in the first place. I hate him! I never want to see him again!"

"Well, Chris, that is your decision, but then you had better get used to spending a lot of time alone in your own room. Because Johnny is a friend of your father's, and mine, and he will still be welcome in our house."

Chris finally pulled away from his mother and got to his feet, turning to face her, anger in every movement. "You care more about Johnny that you do about me! He left dad to die! How could you still want to be his friend?!"

With tears falling down his face, Chris ran from the room.

"Chris, wait!" Joanne called after her son. But he wasn't listening. Chris raced blinding down the hall, almost running into a nurse, before he made it to the stairs. Slamming open the door, he ran down the stairs. Joanne went to follow, but was stopped by Stoker's hand on her arm.

"I'll go after him, Joanne. He just needs to calm down a little. It'll be okay."

"Thanks, Mike. I want to go after him, but I don't think he'd pay attention to me right now."

"Stay here. I'll find him and keep an eye on him."

Mike went after Chris, seeing him head down the steps. He stayed close, following him outside, watching as he went over to a small wooded park area set up for patients. He saw Chris pace around the chairs and picnic table, venting some of the anger that he'd shown toward Joanne. Then he saw the boy sit down heavily at the table and put his head in his hands, saw his shoulders shaking as he sobbed. He allowed Chris some privacy, approaching only after he saw him take a deep breath and wipe his eyes.

"Chris, are you okay?" he asked, in his quiet way. Chris looked up to see who was talking to him. Only nodding in response, he looked back at the table, drawing imaginary circles with his finger.

"I'll listen if you want to talk about it," Mike assured him.

Mike wasn't sure what he could, or should, say to the boy, but thought he might just need some time away from his mom and the hospital. And if he wanted to talk about it, Mike was ready to listen. He had a son of his own, a couple years younger than Chris, and couldn't imagine what it would be like for him to go through something like this. A firefighter's family suffered when one of them got hurt. It had to be especially painful for the kids. Mike had been lucky, and had never been seriously injured, in part due to the fact that he worked the engine and seldom entered the blaze. But when he'd first started out as one the "grunts" working the hoses, he'd come close a couple of times. But his kids were still very young then, and hadn't really understood.

It was different with a kid Chris' age. They understood completely, probably more so then many gave them credit for. And Chris idolized his dad, thought he was the best paramedic in the world. He remembered Chris bringing friends to the station to show them around. The friends had always been impressed by what they'd seen and heard. Which made Chris even more proud of what his father did. Roy was Chris' hero, and like all hero worship, it was hard to see the big man fall, even if only temporarily.

Chris was silent for so long that Mike figured he just wasn't ready to speak to anyone. He was about to move away, to give the boy some space, when Chris starting speaking.

"I don't want my dad to die," he said quietly. "The doctors keep telling Mom that they're doing all they can. And Mom keeps saying everybody is doing their best. But..."

"But...you're scared?" Mike ventured.

Chris looked up quickly, ready to deny it. But then, he just nodded, looking away again, embarrassed.

"You have every right to be scared, Chris. It's frightening when someone gets badly hurt, especially when it's someone you love. Everybody here is scared, especially your Mom...and Johnny."

Chris shot him a look of disgust when Mike mentioned Johnny's name.

"Chris, I heard what you said to your mom about Johnny leaving your dad in the cave. I know you probably won't believe me, but your mom is right. Johnny would never do that. Not to any of us, and especially not your dad. He cares a lot about your dad, and your mom and you kids. He would never do anything to intentionally hurt anyone."

"I saw him on the news, ya know. I saw him just sitting around while my dad was still in the cave," Chris said, defiantly. "He was just sitting there, having a cup of coffee, while my dad was still in that cave. I hate him for that. If my dad dies, it will be all his fault."

"Chris, the only time Johnny sat around is when the Captain ordered him to take a break. If it had been up to him, he would have stayed in the cave the whole time."

Chris shook his head, not buying into what Stoker was trying to tell him.

Mike could see that no amount of reassurances or explanations would appease the young man, so he didn't say anything else. They sat silently for several long minutes.

"Mr Stoker, do you think my dad is going to die?" The question coming out of the silence surprised Mike and he wasn't sure what to say.

"I don't know Chris, I'm not a doctor. I know you don't want to hear this again, but what your mom told you is true. Your dad is getting the best care possible here. And the doctors and nurses are your father's friends, so they'll do everything they can to make sure he gets better."

"Dad always says that Dr Brackett is the best doctor he's ever seen. I'm glad he's taking care of my dad now."

"Yeah, Brackett's good. But then, your dad deserves the best."

Chris smiled at that, and nodded, glad that Mike had come to talk to him.

/

Twenty minutes later, Joanne was sitting on the sofa, her daughter beside her, Jennifer's head in her lap, when Marco and Chet returned from the ER. "How's Johnny?" she asked, anxiously, as she stroked Jennifer's hair.

Marco sat down next to her and put a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

"He's going to be fine. Dr Early is wrapping his ribs back up, as we speak."

"Thank God," she exclaimed, "I was so afraid that Chris had made his injury worse."

Marco and Chet exchanged glances, which of course, Joanne noticed. "What?" she questioned, glancing back and forth between the two. "What is it? You said he was going to be okay, right?"

"Oh, he's gonna be fine," Chet said. "But, ah, well, his rib isn't cracked anymore."

Confused, Joanne didn't understand. How could a cracked rib suddenly not be cracked...? Then, it hit her. "Broken?! It's broken?!" She couldn't believe it. "Chris...my son, Chris...broke Johnny's rib? Oh, my God, I can't believe this?"

"Joanne, calm down," Chet told her. "If the rib hadn't already been cracked, Chris never would have been able to break it. He just happened to hit it in just the right spot..."

"I can't believe this!" she said again, lowering her face into her hands. "I knew Chris was upset, but I never thought he would react with such violence. Especially against Johnny."

"Where is Chris?" asked Marco, looking around the almost empty waiting room. Aside from those there for Roy, there were only two other people in the room.

"He got so angry that he ran out of the room. Mike went after him. I don't know where they are."

"Well, I wouldn't worry about him," Chet said. "Mike will take care of him."

"Is Johnny being admitted back into the hospital?" Joanne inquired.

"No, he's not," answered Stanley from the doorway, where he'd just entered the room. "Dr Early agreed not to admit him again, as long as Johnny promised to take it easy, and not get in any more fights." He said the last part with a grin on his face.

"Where is he?"

"Down the hall. There's another, smaller waiting room at the other end of the hall. I tried to talk him into going home, but he insisted on sticking around. He's hoping to be able to see Roy at least once before he leaves."

"Why didn't he just come in here with you?" she asked.

"He, ah, didn't want to upset Chris again. So he thought he'd just stay out of the way. He asked me to ask you to come get him during the next visiting hours, so he could go in with you to see Roy. Then he promised to go home for a while. Which I think would be the best thing for him."

"He shouldn't have to hide down the hall," she insisted, getting up from the couch, Marco moving in to take her place with Jennifer. Joanne needed to talk to Johnny about what happened. Plus, she wanted to see for herself that he was alright.

/

She stood in the doorway for a moment, watching him try to get comfortable. Whenever he moved, he flinched from the pain. Finally, she joined him, sitting carefully, not wanted to jostle him anymore.

"Are you in much pain, Johnny?"

Shaking his head, he gave her a small grin. "Not too bad...as long as I don't move around too much."

"I am so sorry. Chris never..." He stopped her with a wave of his hand.

"Joanne, you have nothing to be sorry about. This certainly wasn't your fault."

"But Chris never should have lashed out at you like that."

"I admit it did take me a bit by surprise," he chuckled. "I didn't think Chris was that strong. I guess all that soccer he plays gave him some pretty powerful feet."

"Johnny, this isn't funny," Joanne reprimanded him. "Roy and I did not raise our children to hit when they get angry."

"I know that Joanne," Johnny agreed. "Cut him a little slack. I know Chris wasn't really angry at me. He's angry at what happened and I just happened to get in his way. He is right about one thing...I did promise him that I'd watch out for Roy..."

"Johnny, you are not Roy's keeper. He can watch out for himself. Hank told me what happened. There wasn't anything you or anyone else could have done. It was an accident. As it was, you stayed there when you really should have been in the hospital."

"Let's not go there. Captain Stanley has already given me grief about that." He reached down and took her hand. "Joanne, you and I both know that I would never leave Roy behind on purpose. If I could trade places with him right now, I would. I think Chris knows that too. But he's still just a kid. Right now, his fear is over-riding his common sense. He needs somebody to blame for this, but it isn't anyone's fault. And until he knows for sure that Roy is going to be okay, that fear is going to play with his head. I don't mind taking his anger on, as long as he doesn't take it out on you. I'll just be sure to stay clear of his feet."

They looked up when they heard a noise at the doorway. "Hey, you two," called Dr. Brackett. "Johnny, I heard you'd had a relapse of sorts. How are you feeling after your TKO?" he grinned.

"Fine, Doc, just a bit sore. And I'm not able to move very fast," he chuckled. Sobering, he asked, "How's Roy?"

"Actually, that's why I came to find you. He's starting to wake up." He turned to Joanne. "I thought you might want to come in and say hi."

Releasing Johnny's hand, Joanne jumped up, anxious to see her husband. As she got to the door, she looked back at Johnny. "Are you coming?" she asked.

Johnny looked at Joanne, then shifted his gaze to Brackett.

"C'mon, Johnny," the doctor insisted, "it might help if you were there, too."

He reached down a hand and helped Johnny to his feet. They slowly made their way to Roy's room, Johnny holding his left arm against his side, his right hand on Brackett's shoulder for support.

/

They entered Roy's room to see him looking around, trying to focus in on where he was. He heard the door open, and saw his wife's smiling face as she came closer and grasped his hand.

"Hey, handsome, it's about time you woke up," she lightly scolded him.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"What do you remember, Roy?" Brackett wanted to know.

Roy looked away, lost in thought momentarily. "The mine, we went in after a little boy," he said, his eyes coming to rest on Johnny's face, saw him smile and nod. "We got the kid out of the hole he'd fallen into, but then...I don't remember." His face showed his confusion. "Was there a cave-in?" he asked.

"Yeah, just as we were reaching the entrance of the mine shaft, it came down on us," Johnny reminded him. "You were caught inside. We had to dig you out."

"The boy?"

"He's fine. The guys managed to pull the two of us out with my lifeline. But when we turned back to get you, we couldn't see anything but dirt. We spent almost six hours digging for you."

Roy just nodded, glad to see his partner in one piece, and happy that their original victim was safe and sound. He smiled up at Joanne and squeezed her hand. "How are you doing?" he asked her. "Are Chris and Jennifer okay?"

"I am fine, now that you're back with us. And the kids will be too, once they hear that you're better."

Thinking about the kids, Johnny subconsciously rubbed his side, where the bandage wrapped around his ribcage.

"Hey, Doc, what's the chance of the kids coming in for a few minutes?" he asked.

Understanding why Johnny was asking, he agreed it would probably be okay. "As long as it's a short visit. No more than ten minutes. Roy still needs his rest."

"Joanne, why don't I have Chet get Chris, and the Doc can bring them both in for a little bit."

Smiling, Joanne nodded, grateful that Johnny would cut his own visit short for the sake of the kids. She knew he was doing it mostly for Chris, and that made her feel better. She hoped Chris would settle down after he saw that his dad was okay, and maybe then he would apologize to Johnny.

"Roy, I'll come back later and see you," Johnny told his partner, then he turned and painfully made his way out the door. Roy watched his slow progress.

"Is Johnny okay, Doc?"

"He's fine, just a broken rib and a nasty bruise on his lower back. A few weeks rest and he should be fit to return to work. How about you, are you feeling any pain?"

"I've got a killer headache..."

/


	6. Chapter 6

**_CHAPTER SIX_**

Several days later, Roy was out of ICU and in a regular room. He was looking forward to Joanne coming to visit, since he would actually have a couple of hours alone with her. He hadn't been able to really talk to her during the last couple of days, since there always seemed to be other people in the room with them. Johnny had been in earlier that morning, but left saying he had some errands to run, and wouldn't get back until the next day. The rest of the crew were on duty, so he knew it would be a quiet day for visitors. The kids wouldn't be in until later, after they got out of school. Linda Stanley was going to drop them off. That would give him plenty of time to talk to his wife.

He had seen Joanne and Johnny exchanging funny looks whenever he mentioned Chris, and he was determined to find out what that was all about.

"Hey, babe," she called as she peeked in the doorway.

"Joanne! I've been waiting all morning for you." She walked over to his bed, and leaned in to give him a quick kiss.

"I told you I had an appointment this morning...didn't I?"

"Yeah, I just didn't think it would take all morning."

"Well, actually it didn't, but I wanted to go home and freshen up before coming over to see my favorite guy."

She sat down on the bed and they talked about the kids, and Joanne's family for a little while. He asked if everything was going okay at home, if she'd had any problems with the house or anything. She assured him that things were running smoothly, as usual.

"Speaking of the kids, Joanne, what's going on with Chris?" he asked.

"Chris? What do you mean?"

"You and Johnny have been keeping something from me, something about Chris. I'd like to know what it is."

She got up to move away from the bed, but he grabbed her arm. "Joanne, what is it? Is something wrong with Chris? Is he sick? Did he get in trouble in school? What?" He was concerned now, since it was obvious that Joanne didn't want to talk about whatever it was.

"Honey, I didn't want to bring this up, not yet. I wanted you to get some strength back before you heard about it."

"Well, now that I know something is wrong, how about you just go ahead and tell me, before my imagination gets the better of me."

"Do you remember a conversation you had with Chris about a week before you got hurt. Johnny was there, too, and you got to talking about partners, and what they did for each other."

"Yeah. I remember. We were in the garage working on Chris' dresser and he started talking about all the kids in the neighbor thought how my being a firefighter was so cool. But how did you know about that talk?"

"Johnny told me about it. Apparently he made some comments during that conversation ...comments that Chris took to heart. He's blaming Johnny for leaving you in the mine shaft."

"What! That wasn't Johnny's fault!"

"I know that, Roy. But Chris remembered how Johnny told him that he would always look out for you and watch your back. Chris thinks Johnny let you down. And thinks Johnny lied to him about keeping an eye on you."

"Joanne, that's ridiculous! Johnny couldn't have prevented what happened. And he couldn't have come back for me without endangering himself and that boy."

"That's what I keep trying to tell him...but Roy, that's not the worst of it."

"This gets worse?" he asked, cautiously.

"I'm afraid so. When Johnny came into the waiting room that second day, when you were still in ICU, Chris approached him, and asked him why he left you in the cave to die."

"Oh, God, please don't tell me ..."

"There's more...Chris got so angry that he started swinging his arms and legs around. His foot caught Johnny in the side, on his injured ribs." Joanne watched Roy's reaction, saw a multitude of emotions run across his face...disbelief, anger, concern. "Roy, Johnny had cracked a rib during the initial cave-in. When Chris kicked him, it broke that rib." One last emotion, shock, filled his features now. He laid his head back on this pillow and stared at the ceiling, shaking his head.

Then it dawned on him. "Is that why Johnny never comes to see me at night, when the kids are here?"

"Yes. He knows that Chris is still upset with him and doesn't want to make things worse by being here at the same time as Chris. He knows that wouldn't be good for your recovery." She ran a hand through her hair, a gesture of frustration that Roy didn't witness very often. "Roy, I don't know what to do. I thought, once he knew that you were okay, that he would realize how wrong he is. But, he won't even speak to Johnny, much less apologize. He even threatened to destroy his dresser, because Johnny helped paint it. He stopped only after I reminded him how much work you had put into it."

"Joanne, I'm sorry you've had to try to handle this alone. We need to speak with Chris...soon."

"You'll be out of here in a couple more days, Roy. I'd like to wait until we get home. If Chris gets angry again, I don't want it to interfere with the other patients and staff in this hospital."

"You're right. That will also give me some time to think about what I'm going to say to him."

She nodded, relieved to finally have been able to tell her husband what was going on with their son. Chris had been ranting and raving to the point that he had upset Jennifer on a couple of occasions. She had been forced to send him to his room several times, just so she wouldn't have to hear him bad-mouth Johnny.

To his credit, Johnny did what he could to help. He stayed away from the house when he knew Chris was home. And he took Jennifer for the afternoon the day before, because she still wanted to see her Uncle Johnny. But she knew that Chris' rage was hurting him and she wanted to put a stop to it.

/

Johnny came by the next day. He and Roy talked for several hours about Chris. Roy wanted to feel Johnny out about how he felt. He wasn't surprised that Johnny took partial blame.

"..I've been thinking about it a lot, Roy, wondering if maybe I said it the wrong way. You know, I never meant to hurt Chris."

"Johnny, it wasn't your fault. None of it. Not the cave-in and not what Chris understood. I thought it was kinda nice what you told him. And neither of us ever gave him the impression that I would never be hurt again on duty. It's just that this accident happened so soon after that talk, that I think he just wove into it what he wanted to hear, and not what was really said. I've tried to impress on him hundreds of times how dangerous our job is. He just chose to ignore that this time."

"Well, I hope you can make him understand, Roy, because I really love that kid. I miss spending time with him. And I don't want to alienate him. I've come to like being part of your family and don't want to give that up."

Roy smiled at his partner. "Johnny, one of these days, we're gonna have to get you a family of your own."

"Oh, Roy, I don't know. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I'm still practicing with yours."

They both laughed, glad that the whole situation was out in the open, and it hadn't affected their friendship.

/

The time was now. Jennifer was staying the night at a friend's, conveniently arranged by Joanne. Roy had been home several days and both thought now was as good a time as any to confront their son. They had decided not to punish him until after they'd had the chance to talk to him.

"Chris, can you come in here, please," Roy called.

He heard the bedroom door open and watched as the young man warily made his way into the living room. From his look, Roy knew that he was aware what this conversation would be about.

"Yes, Dad," he asked, eying his mother. He had been dreading this, knew it was inevitable.

"Sit down, Chris. We need to talk."

Biting his bottom lip, Chris took a seat across from his parents, who sat side-by-side on the sofa. He looked at the floor, not wanting to meet his father's gaze.

"Chris, I'd like an explanation of what happened between you and Johnny at the hospital."

"Didn't Mom and Johnny already tell you what happened?" he asked, bitingly.

"I got their versions. Now I want yours. And don't be using that nasty tone with me, son."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry," he mumbled, eyes downcast again.

"So, tell me your side of the story. What happened?"

Chris glanced at his dad again, then shifted his eyes to see his mother's reaction. She was watching him, waiting for him to talk. She wasn't going to interrupt him, would allow him to say his peace with no input from her.

"I kicked him. And it broke his rib."

"Is that it, Chris?" Roy asked. "That's all you have to say on the matter?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me why you kicked him," Roy stated.

"Because I felt like it," he replied, obstinately.

"That's not a good enough excuse, mister! Johnny risked his life to save me, so did everyone else there that day. And this is how you reward him? By assaulting him? You know better than that! We don't use violence in this house!"

Roy was getting angry, not just at what his son had done, but at his attitude now. He was prepared to listen to Chris' explanation, but he wasn't ready to hear this bitterness and lack of respect.

"Your mom tells me that you think Johnny lied to you, is that true?"

"Yes, sir. He did lie."

"How? And when did he lie to you? What did he say?"

Chris looked at his father, trying to read his emotions, trying to judge how mad he was. Sometimes it was hard to tell with his dad. He didn't get really angry very often, but when he did, it was best to be in another state. And Chris was beginning to wish he was in another state right about now.

"Chris, I'm waiting for an answer."

"That day in the garage, when you were working on my furniture. He said that partners always look out for each other, and that he would always look out for you! He said that he would never let anything happen to you, if he could help it!" Chris was starting to get upset again, thinking about that day.

"...if he could help it," Roy reiterated. "But he couldn't help it this time Chris. There wasn't a thing he could have done."

"But he left you there! He walked out of that cave when it came down on top of you!" Tears were starting to well up in Chris' eyes, thinking back on that horrible day, when they sat and watched the rescue effort on TV.

"No, Chris, he didn't just walk out. That cave came down on him, too. How do you think he got hurt in the first place? He was trying to protect the boy that we had rescued. His responsibility was to be sure that boy got out. The victim is always our first priority. You know that. If it had been me up front with the boy, I would have done the same think that Johnny did. I would have made sure the boy was safe, before I checked on Johnny."

"No, that's not true! He said that you saved his life a lot!"

"That's right, I have. And he's saved mine...a lot. But never by putting our victim in more danger. Never, Chris."

Chris was crying now, and trying to justify his anger. "But he just sat there, dad! I saw him on the news, he was sitting and drinking a cup of coffee. I saw him just sitting there."

"Honey, Mike told me what you saw," Joanne spoke up. "From what he told me, and what he told you, Captain Stanley ordered Johnny to take a break. He had been working non-stop for hours and it was the only way they could get him to take a rest. And when Johnny wasn't digging, others were. The men from Station 51 weren't the only ones there that day trying to help your dad. A lot of other firemen were there, as well as some regular citizens, who just wanted to help. Johnny knew he could take a rest, because he had a lot of help there."

"Chris, do you remember when I told you how I depend on all my co-workers when I go into a fire to save someone? How Chet and Marco are there, and Mike?"

Chris nodded, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "Well, that day they were helping Johnny...and he was trying to save me. That's the way it works."

Chris didn't say anything for several minutes, then got up and walked over to his dad and hugged him. "I'm glad you're okay, Dad. I was really scared that you were gonna die."

"I know, Chris. Mrs Mitchell told your mom about the nightmare you had the night you stayed with her. You know, I've never lied to you about my job. I've always told you how dangerous it can be. It goes with the territory. I'm sorry you had to go through what you did. And I hope you never have to do that again."

"Me too, Dad." He then went to hug his mother. "Is it okay if I go to my room now?" he asked her.

"Yes, honey, I think that'll be okay. Dinner will be ready in about an hour."

As Chris walked back to his bedroom Roy turned to Joanne.

"I thought we were going to have this all out tonight. He still needs to apologize to Johnny."

"I know, Roy, but let's give him a little bit of time to think about what we said. Maybe he'll come to that conclusion himself. It'll be better if we don't have to force him into it."

"Yeah, you're probably right. If we make him apologize, it won't fix the problem." Roy put his arm around Joanne, and they settled back on to sofa, hoping their talk had done some good.

/

**_EPILOGUE _**

The next morning, Chris joined his parents at the breakfast table. He was quiet, not saying two words during the meal. When he was finished, he took his dishes into the kitchen, placing them in the sink. Then he walked back over and stood next to Roy, as his father drank a cup of coffee and read the newspaper.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Chris?" Roy inquired, lowering the paper to look at his son.

"Can you drive me over to Uncle Johnny's?"

Roy looked at Joanne, who tried to hide her grin.

"Sure I can, Chris. When do you want to leave?"

"As soon as I get dressed. Will that be okay? Do you think he'll be awake?"

Glancing at his watch, Roy nodded. "I think he'll be up, Chris. He usually gets up early to feed his horse."

/

Roy pulled up in front of Johnny's house, reaching to turn off the ignition, but Chris stopped him.

"Dad, do you mind not staying? I think I'd like to do this alone." He was biting his lower lip again, nervous, not sure how Johnny would greet him.

"You got it kiddo. Just give me a call when you want me to pick you up."

Nodding, Chris got out of the car and slowly, hesitantly, plodded up the walkway to the house. Knocking on the door, he waited for Johnny to answer. Watching from the end of the driveway, Roy could tell that Chris looked ready to bolt, but lost the opportunity when the door opened.

"Chris?"

"Um...hi Uncle Johnny. Can, ah...can I talk to you?" Chris said, quietly.

"Sure, I guess so. You don't have your soccer shoes on today, do you?" he teased.

"No," Chris replied, with a small grin.

"Okay, slugger, come on in."

As Chris walked past him, Johnny looked down the drive and saw Roy sitting in his car. He smiled and waved, then closed the door. Roy sat there for another minute, then put the car in reverse and headed back home. He was glad that Johnny was so welcoming, as he knew he would be. He was proud of his son for wanting to do this on his own, a sure sign that he was growing up. He sighed, thinking back to that day in the garage again. He had been thinking how fast the kids were growing up and that had saddened him. But maybe it was a good thing after all.

/THE END/


End file.
